In a significant development, the Indian Army on Wednesday carried out successful trials of the indigenously developed Akash Prime air defence system at an altitude of over 15,000 feet in the Ladakh sector.
The trial was carried out by the Army Air Defence along with senior officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, which has developed the system.
During the trials, the surface-to-air missiles registered two direct hits against very fast-moving target aircraft in the very high altitude area in a rarified atmosphere.
The Akash Prime system would form the third and fourth regiments of the Akash air defence systems in the Indian Army.
The system also performed very well during Operation Sindoor in thwarting aerial attacks by the Pakistan military using Chinese aircraft and Turkish drones in it.
In comparison to the existing Akash System, Akash Prime is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy.
Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under low-temperature environments at higher altitudes. A modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system has also been used.
The Akash Prime system has further enhanced the confidence of the users (Indian Army and Indian Air Force). The missile can be deployed at heights up to 4,500 metres and can take down targets at a distance of around 25-30 km. (ANI)
